Many electronic systems include card readers to read data encoded on a magnetic stripe of a card. The magnetic stripe typically can include 3 separate tracks, each capable of including data, which the card reader can concurrently read during a card swipe over a read head of the card reader.
Since most card readers are used sporadically, the electronic systems can allow the card readers to enter a low power mode during periods of inactivity. The electronic systems can separately include swipe detection circuitry to detect an initiation of a card swipe and prompt the electronic systems to a wake-up the card reader to read the data encoded on the magnetic stripe of the card during the swipe of the card. While the inclusion of the separate swipe detection circuitry can allow the card reader to reduce power consumption, it comes at the cost of increase utilization of hardware and routing resources in the electronic systems. Some electronic systems, in an attempt to reduce the impact of the swipe detection circuitry on system resources, have elected to design swipe detection circuits that monitor only 1 of the 3 tracks on the magnetic stripe. While this solution allowed for reduced system resource consumption, the accuracy of the swipe detection circuitry can be compromised because some cards leave tracks unpopulated.